Why are we against medical research on Nepalese monkeys?
It hurts them
Despite what researchers claim, biomedical research
is extremely painful. During the research monkeys
are kept alone in a cage, and start suffering from
self-injury such as self-biting, hair pulling and
repetitive motions. Monkeys are used to living as a
‘joint family' in a large group and cannot deal with
being in a small box alone. The tests carried out
are painful and potentially lethal. For instance, if
monkeys are used to develop a medicine for HIV/AIDS
the monkey first is injected with the AIDS virus,
after which different medicines are tested.
Bio-terrorism experiments are even more
controversial, as they subject the monkeys to lethal
substances and diseases such as smallpox, anthrax,
and ricin. Much of the research is ‘classified' and
conducted at super-secret laboratories, some of them
in remote areas.
Investigations at even the most well known
institutions show that researchers do not take good
care of their animals. They treat animals like
disposable tools and consider proper animal care to
be too expensive. What did these monkeys do to
mankind to be given the deadly anthrax or AIDS virus
and die a slow and extremely painful death?
Monkeys are
considered sacred in Nepal
Monkeys are considered sacred both by Hindus and
Buddhists. Hurting them will upset the public's
religious sentiments. Monkeys are considered sacred
and an important part of Nepal 's heritage for a
number of reasons. Monkeys are highly intelligent
animals and maintain intricate social structures.
They have complex emotional lives, caring for one
another and showing love to their babies as we
humans do to our children. Ethically, using monkeys
in experiments that inflict mental and physical pain
is unacceptable and unconscionable. What's more,
conservation and animal welfare organisations nor
the public were informed or consulted when the
government introduced its Wildlife Breeding Policy.
It happened at a time when there was no democratic
government in place and an autocratic king
introduced many controversial ordinances. Allowing
US primate centers to enter Nepal has been an
undemocratic and highly questionable matter.
Monkey research
is being questioned all over the world
Around the world it is found that results of
monkey research cannot always be applied to humans.
Other methods are being developed, not using live
animals, which are up to scientific standards. Many
countries have banned monkey research, including
India and many European countries. Photos of lab
monkeys have opened the eyes of the public to the
untold suffering of research monkeys. Nepal has
build a reputation for the protection of wildlife
such as rhino, tiger and elephant. The decision to
export monkeys is considered out-dated an unethical
by the public at large and will be condemned around
the globe.
We probably
don't have many left
Some scientists call Nepal 's rhesus monkeys a
‘pest species' as they tend to raid crops. However,
their habitat is increasingly being threatened by
human encroachment. Since hardly any surveys have
been carried out on wild rhesus monkey populations,
no one knows for sure how many are left. Instead of
capturing monkeys and let them suffer in US labs we
should instead preserve their natural habitat and
population.
Partners Stop Monkey Business Campaign Coalition